The present invention relates to the bleaching of laundry using a peroxidized compound.
Within the scope of the invention, the peroxidized bleaching agent may usually be hydrogen peroxide, persalts or peroxyhydrates. The latter compounds, in addition to being expensive carriers of active oxygen and hydrogen peroxide are unfortunately not sufficiently effective at a temperature of less than approximately 70.degree. C.
Therefore, it becomes essential to add to them, as in the case of hydrogen peroxide, an activator such as tetraacetylethylenediamine (TAED), tetraacetylglycoluryl (TAGU) or .alpha.-acetoxy-.alpha.-methyl-N,N'-diacetylmalonamide (AP31) described in the French Pat. No. 2,363,541, among others.
These activators, the synthesis and the form of production of which are expensive, are a great burden on the profitability of bleaching.
British patent application No. 2,149,418 describes a method which does not involve the use of such an activator, but, according to which when calcium is present, even in small amounts, it is necessary to use a sodium carbonate-divalent maganese ion pair and a sequestrant which must become active only when the bath has reached at least a particular stage known as the critical stage.